A Garden City Walk Beyond Suwon's Fortress Walls: Irwol Arboretum's Mediterranean Greenhouse, Wolhwawon at Hyowon Park and Picnics at Gwanggyo Lake Park
Three green gardens and night-view lakeside trails in Suwon, too good to miss if you only see Hwaseong Haenggung Palace
Comparison table at a glance
| Place | Type of space | Admission | Most attractive feature |
|---|---|---|---|
| Irwol Arboretum | Urban ecological arboretum | Paid (discount for Suwon residents) | A sun-drenched Mediterranean exhibition greenhouse and the Dasan Garden of King Jeongjo's era |
| Wolhwawon, Hyowon Park | Traditional Guangdong-style Chinese garden | Free | White plastered walls, a round moon gate (wolmun) and a boat-shaped pavilion on the pond |
| Gwanggyo Lake Park | Waterfront ecological lake park | Free | 6.5 km of waterside decks around Woncheon and Sindae lakes, and dazzling night views |
| Banghwasuryujeong Pavilion (Northeast Corner Pavilion) | Joseon-era fortress pavilion | Free | Fortress picnics under the weeping willows of Yongyeon Pond |
1. A Mediterranean Spring Blooming Beside the Ripples of Irwol Reservoir: Irwol Arboretum
Set on the shores of Irwol Reservoir in Cheoncheon-dong, Jangan-gu, Suwon, Irwol Arboretum is an urban ecological arboretum created together with citizens. Pass the floor-to-ceiling windows of the visitor center and step into the arboretum, and the first thing to catch your eye is the 'Exhibition Greenhouse,' where warm sunlight pours through its transparent glass roof.
Olive trees, cork oaks, silvery-leaved herbs and cacti from the dry Mediterranean climate create exotic scenery, so wherever you press the shutter, you'll get magazine-worthy photos. Step outside, and the 'Dasan Garden,' which reinterprets the garden aesthetics of Jeong Yak-yong, a Silhak scholar of King Jeongjo's era, runs alongside the Irwol Reservoir trail, letting you enjoy water and forest at once.
Suwon Arboretum Irwol · Photo: Korea Tourism Organization · KOGL Type 1
Yeohaenggak editor's tip It's reachable by city bus from Sungkyunkwan University Station or Hwaseo Station on Line 1, and after the greenhouse, the café inside the visitor center is a good place to rest with a garden view.
2. The Exotic Scenery of the Drama Moon Lovers: Wolhwawon at Hyowon Park
Walk into Hyowon Park in Ingye-dong, and you'll find Wolhwawon, a space that feels as if you've crossed time and space into a villa in ancient Jiangnan, China. It's an authentic Lingnan-school (Guangdong-style) garden completed in 2006, after Gyeonggi Province and China's Guangdong Province signed a friendship exchange agreement and traditional architecture artisans from Guangdong were sent to build it.
The borrowed-scenery technique, in which bamboo and a pond overlap beyond a round window (moon gate) cut into the white plastered walls, is superb, while an artificial hill with a cascading waterfall and 'Buyongsa,' a stone-boat-shaped pavilion floating on the pond, create a mysterious atmosphere. Admission is free, yet it's exceptionally well kept, making it a mecca for photographers.
Wolhwawon Garden (Hyowon Park) · Photo: Korea Tourism Organization · KOGL Type 1
Yeohaenggak editor's tip It's on the Exit 9 and 10 side of Suwon City Hall Station on the Suin-Bundang Line, and it works well as a lunchtime walk combined with the restaurants of Ingye-dong and Na Hye-seok Street.
3. Night Deck Paths Even More Enchanting Than the Daytime Shimmer: Gwanggyo Lake Park
Winner of Korea's Most Beautiful Urban Landscape Award (Grand Prize from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport), Gwanggyo Lake Park is a Suwon landmark linking two large lakes, Woncheon Lake and Sindae Lake. In particular, the multi-level 'Urban Levee' waterside deck path, winding right above the surface of the lake, reveals ever-changing lake views depending on where you walk.
After sunset, soft indirect lighting comes on along the deck railings, and the dazzling lights of the high-rises across the lake spread over the water like colorful paint. Climb the wooden observatory built to commemorate the sister-city relationship with Freiburg, Germany (Freiburg Observatory), take in the night scenery of the two lakes at a glance, and bring your day to a close.
Gwanggyo Lake Park · Photo: Korea Tourism Organization · KOGL Type 1
Yeohaenggak editor's tip For a lively café street and night views, choose the 'Woncheon Lake (Parking Lot 1)' area; for a quiet, secluded lakeside walk in the woods, choose the 'Sindae Lake (Parking Lot 3)' area.
Frequently asked questions (FAQ)
Q. When is Irwol Arboretum closed, and what are its opening hours?
It closes every Monday (if Monday is a public holiday, it closes the following day instead), and you can visit from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. (last entry 5 p.m.).
Q. Can you combine Wolhwawon at Hyowon Park with Hwaseong Haenggung Palace and Banghwasuryujeong in one day?
Yes. You can get from Wolhwawon (Ingye-dong) to Hwaseong Haenggung and Banghwasuryujeong by taxi or bus, so you can combine Irwol Arboretum in the morning, Wolhwawon in the afternoon, and Banghwasuryujeong or Gwanggyo Lake Park in the evening.
Q. How far is a loop of Gwanggyo Lake Park?
A loop of Woncheon Lake is about 3 km, and a loop of Sindae Lake is about 3.5 km, just right for a light evening walk.
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